Oren andrew



(No Model.)

0. ANDREW.

SAFETY ENVELOPE. v No 544,277. Patented Aug. 13, 1895.

2? v 20 J32 J0 iii WITNESSES: INVENTOH M 7% w w A TTOHNEY.

I NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OREN ANDREW, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TO J OHN N. GORMAN AND, RALPH D. WILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY-ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,277, dated August 13, 1895.

Application filed June 29, 1895. $erial No. 554,403. (No model.)

a safety-envelope which can be produced cheaply by machine, and which after sealing cannot be opened without detection.

The invention consists principally in an en velope having an overlying flap provided with a series of slits forming detective-tongues and a border-strip connecting the outer ends of said tongues, the inner ends of said tongues being united with the body of the flap, said border-strip being adapted to be separated from the detective-tongues after scaling to leave the outer ends of said detective-tongues independent of one another. These independent tongues serve as protectors against tampering with the envelope after sealing, as it is impracticable to raise the numerous tongues without danger of tearing them or marring them or to open the envelope by steaming and reseal it, since it is impracticable to replace the tongues after they are disconnected at their outer ends in parallelism one with another. Moreover, the steaming tends to curl the paper and change the shape of the tongues and the many edges become broken or marred.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings rep-' resents a plan of a blank for this safety-envelope. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the back of this safety-envelope ready for use, the border-strip of its end and bottom flaps being removed and its final sealing-flap being raised for the insertion of matter to be inclosed. Fig. 3 represents an elevation of the back of this safety-envelope sealed and ready for mailing, the border-strip of the final closing-flap being removed. Fig. 4 represents an elevation of the back of a safety-envelope constructed in accordance with this invention, the final sealing-flap being raised to permit the insertion of matter to be inclosed, the detective-tongues in this case being disposed side by side, whereas in the other figures some of said tongues have been removed.

The same reference-numerals designate the same parts in all the figures.

The blank from which this envelope is formed comprises a rectangular body 10, constituting the front of the envelope, the end flaps and 30, and top and bottom flaps 40 and 50. The overlying end flap is provided near its end with a series of slits 31, preferably parallel with one another and preferably at right angles to the end of said flap. These slits form detective-tongues 32, which are united at their inner ends to the body of the flap 30 and at their outer ends to a borderstrip 33 at the outer end of the flap. The border-strip 33 is partially severed by means of perforations 34 or otherwise from the body of the flap along the ends of the detectivetongues. Adhesive gum is applied to this flap along the detectiveetongues and for a short distance inward from the inner end thereof. The border-strip 33 is ungummed. Instead of applying the gum to the upper flap, it may be applied to the under flap 20, opposite the detective-tongues of the flap 30. The

bottom flap is provided with similar slits 41, forming similar detective tongues 42, united at their inner ends to the body of the flap and at their outer ends to the border-strip 43 thereof. The border-strip 43 is partially separated from the detectivetongues by perforations or serrations 44. This flap is preferably gummed from its inner edge to the outer end of its tongues 42, the borderstrip 43 being ungummed. Instead of applying the gum to the flap 40 it may be applied to the outer face of the flaps 20 and 30, opposite the detective-tongues 42. The overlying final sealing-flap is provided with similar slits 51, forming detective-tongues 52, united at their inner ends with the body of the flap and connected with one another at their outer ends by the border-strip 53. This borderstrip 53 is partially separated from the outer ends of the tongues by a row of perforations or serrations 54, which facilitate the detachment of the border-strip. This flap is provided with a gummed surface 55, which extends from the inner edge of the inner face of the flap to the outer edge of the tongues 52, and the border-strip 53 is ungummed. Instead of the gummed surface 55 the end flaps and may be gummed on their outer faces opposite that portion of the flap which is provided with the tongues 52.

In the manufacture of this envelope the blank, as shown in Fig. 1, is stamped out and the slits formed in the flap atthe same time. The slits may be in the form of slots, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or in slits, as in Fig. 4. The gum may be applied to the parts at the same time or subsequently, as desired. The envelope is formed from the blank by first folding inward the end flap 20, then folding inward the end flap 30, the inner end-of the flap 3O overlying the inner end of the flap 20. The gummed surface of the flap 30 is sealed to the flap 20, while the border-strip 33 is left free. This border-strip is then torn oft along the line of the serrations or perforations 3%. This tearing off of the border-strip 33 leaves the detective-tongues 82 disconnected from one another at their outer ends. Then the bottom flap is folded upward over the end flaps and cemented thereto along its gummed portion and for a distance inward therefrom. The border-strip 43, which is ungumtned, is then torn off, leaving the outer ends of the detective-tongues 42 separated one from another. The envelope is then ready for use.

In the use of this envelope the article to be inclosed is inserted in the usual manner, and the top or final sealing-flap is then folded down over the back of the envelope and cemented along its tongued portion to said back, the border-strip being ungummed and uncemented. After the gumnled surface is sealed the border-strip 53 is torn 0% along the line of the perforations 54, leaving the tongues independent of one another at their outer ends. The tongues may be crimped more or less transversely, if desired, as shown on the tongues 42 in Fig. 2. This crimping serves as a further protection. ive-tongues are preferably formed at all the joints of the envelope, so as to afford thorough protection thereto.

I regard Fig. 4 as the preferable form of.

envelope, the slits being narrow and the tongues lying closely side by side, whereas in the other figures alternate tongues have been cut out.

I claim as my invention- 1. An envelope having an overlying flap These detect provided with a series of slits adjacent to its end, said slits forming a series of parallel deteetive tongues which are united at their inner ends with the body of the flap and at their outer ends with a border strip, said border strip being adapted to be torn ofj after sealing the outer ends of the detective strips being independent of one another.

2. An envelope having an overlying flap provided with a series of parallel slits forming detective tongues, said tongues being connected at their inner ends with the body of the flap and at their outer ends with the border strip thereof, said border strip being partially separated from the flap at the outer ends of said tongues whereby it may be readily severed from the flap after the latter is sealed, leaving the outer ends of the detective tongues independent of one another.

3. An envelope having an overlying flap provided with a series of slits forming detective tongues, said detective tongues being united at their inner ends with the body of the flap and at their outer ends with the border strip thereof, the slitted portion of the flap being provided with gum and the border strip being ungummed and partially severed from the flap along the ends of the detective tongues for removal.

4. A safety envelope having an overlying flap provided with a series of slits forming detective tongues, said tongues being crimped transverselyand united at their inner ends to the body of the flap and at their outer ends to a border strip thereof, said flap being adapted to be sealed along the tongued portion and its border strip being ungummed and partially severed and adapted to be torn off after sealing to leave said detective tongues independent of each other.

5. An envelope in which both an end and a side flap are provided at their edges with a series of detective tongues independent of one another at their outer ends and all sealed to the back, said envelope havinga final sealing flap provided with slits and intermediate detective tongues and with a detachable border strip connecting the outer ends of said tongues.

OREN ANDREW.

Witnesses:

W. P. MAYO, J. M. THOMPSON. 

